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Summer 2008
FROM THE RECTOR Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ – With the arrival of June it finally feels like summer has arrived! Though the youth of the church are for the most part in school for several more weeks, the weather outside has become wonderfully mild, and the trees and flowers are in full bloom. What a blessing that we’ve finally come to our season of re-creation! Here are a few quick bits of business of which you should be aware. Assisting Priest – We will not be hiring an Assisting Priest in this calendar year. By the time we got our "ducks in a row" to accomplish such a hire, every seminarian from the Diocese of New York had already been hired by out of state churches. We're planning even now to interview in the autumn and fill our position early in the coming academic year with the best possible Assistant for Christ Church. Stay tuned. Summer Service Times – On Sunday, June 29th we will switch to our summer service schedule: 8 & 10 AM on Sunday mornings. We will celebrate the change with a church BBQ & pot luck gathering in our parish hall after the 10 AM service on the 29th. Church Pot Lucks – In a recent sermon I touted the magic of church "pot luck" suppers. There has been much discussion on that topic in the days since, and there seems to be real enthusiasm for organizing a regular, weekly, pot luck night at the church. More to come! Leaders Needed – We always need talented church folk to serve as leaders in our various areas of ministry. In particular right now, we are looking for people who would be willing to take on a leadership role in our Monday Meals-on-Wheels Ministry. You may contact Don or Mary Neal McFarland at 986-4825 if you would like to learn more about this opportunity. Lobsterpalooza – is just days away! I hope to see you at the Quality of Life Building & Park of the Mid-Orange Correctional Facility on Saturday, June 14th from 3-7 PM for live music and lobsters... Faithfully – Father Scott +
YOUTH WANTED FOR CONFIRMATION If you will be in 9th grade (or higher) this September and wish to be confirmed, please call Judi Quackenbush (986-6805) or Jo-Ann Rome (987-7236). We meet every other Sunday night from 5:00-6:30 PM - September through May. This is a 2-year program so you would be confirmed in the spring of 2010. This year we have a special guest speaker already planned, Ray Boswell a local potter from Sugar Loaf. It will be an exciting night. More details to come! ATTENTION ALL WOMEN OF CHRIST CHURCH The WCC (a.k.a. Wine, Cheese and Chocolate) will have its annual picnic on Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 6:00 PM, at The McFarland's home which is located on The Burt Farm about 1/2 mile past the Warwick Methodist Church on Galloway Road/17A. There is a sign-up sheet in the Parish House. Please sign up to bring a salad or desert. Also, please bring $1 the day of the picnic to cover expenses. Hamburgers, hot dogs, condiments and drinks will be furnished. Hope all you ladies out there can make it! A good time will be had by all! Call Mary Neal McFarland (986-4825) for further details or directions. SUMMER INTERN In lieu of a traditional "Summer Seminarian" in 2008, Jere,y Vogt - a long time Christ Church member who is half-way through his undergraduate work at SUNY Binghamton - will be serving as our part-time summer intern. Jeremy is exploring various vocational possibilities including attending seminary and entering the priesthood upon graduation from college. He will spend his time among us this summer trying to get a better idea of what day-to-day service in the church feels like, and whether that ministry has an appeal and true calling for him. You'll be hearing much more from Jeremy as the summer rolls on. Welcome Jeremy! FROM THE INTERN... Hello all, I have officially settled into my makeshift desk in the church office, and I hope to be in and out a lot in the coming months. I have begun my weekly duties, and am in the office consistently several days a week. I will be in every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 9:30 until 12:00 and Wednesday mornings at the Thrift Shop. It would be wonderful if you would stop by to chat! I hope to do a lot of fun and interesting things this summer, including working with the Youth Group on their Mission Trip and shadowing Father Scott on his daily routine. See you this summer! Jeremy Vogt
LOBSTERPALOOZA! Now is the time to get those tickets!! Come be a part of our 2nd annual LOBSTERPALOOZA!! You will find lobster (or chicken), music, raffles, snack foods, hot dogs, and family fun all in one great party! This also is a nice way to celebrate Father’s Day Weekend with the whole family. Lobsterpalooza will be held on Saturday, June 14, 2008 from 3-7 PM at The Quality of Life Building, State School Road, Warwick, New York (just off Kings Highway). Rain or shine; indoor and outdoor seating will be available. Please join us for a lobster/chicken bake, live music, raffles, and loads of fun in a park setting! Music will be provided by Test of Time and Emish. Dinner tickets are $30 each and must be purchased in advance. Please call the Lobsterpalooza hotline anytime at 469-8100 for more information or to reserve tickets. Please note that you do not need to purchase a dinner ticket in order to attend the event. Snack foods, treats, and hot dogs will be available for purchase a la carte. Proceeds to benefit the ministries of Christ Church, so come out and support your Church! CHURCH PICNIC Be sure to dress casually on Sunday, June 29th. On that day, we will switch to our summer service schedule (Holy Eucharist at 8:00 & 10:00 on Sunday mornings) and to celebrate the arrival of summer, we will be having a cook-out after the 10:00 service. Plan to stay after worship for hot dogs, hamburgers, games, and good fun. You bring drinks and pot-luck side dishes. See you then! YOUTH SUMMER MISSIONS Our summer youth mission trip has been scheduled for July 13-17. After our adventure in Mexico last summer we are staying closer to home, and will be serving at Church of the Intercession on 155th & Broadway in New York City. Since our mission site is just over an hour from Warwick this year, there will be opportunities for Christ Church people to come down for "day work" to assist as we endeavor to do repair and re-hab work in this beautiful, landmark church. To see more of Intercession, check out www.intercessionnyc.dioceseny.org and please contact Julie Mumford at 986-9359 if you would like to be a part of this summer's youth mission trip. NOTES FROM THE CHURCH HISTORIAN Dear All, Several friends are now working on a history of their family and searching out old pictures of those from 1900 on. I hope to include this in our book in some way. We really want to be able to have a sense of the family cultures that made Christ Church home to so many. I thank all who are laboring on this project. Lisa Turner is again working as a research assistant and is helping me to type up the lists of all our Vestry members and Rectors from 1862 to the present. This frees me up to keep working on the chapters. Thanks Lisa! Finally on a personal note, our beautiful daughter, Gina Beth Maria, who was received into the Episcopal Church this past spring will be married here at Christ Church on August 1st at 2:00 PM. It is a Friday afternoon and I realize that many of you will be working, but Michael and I would love to fill the Sanctuary with Christ Church family who will pray with and for Gina & Steven and be their witnesses before God. Please come and be with us if you have a free afternoon. Peace to all! Ivy Tulin THE HELPING HANDS CARE TEAM After much prayer and thought, Jo-Ann Rome and I have decided to retire as co-chairs of the Helping Hands Care Team. We will be putting our efforts into the Confirmation Class and the Senior’s Ageless Angels Group. We would like to take this opportunity to THANK the parishioners and our family of Christ Church for allowing us to experience this ministry and serve you. Sincerely, Judi Quackenbush and Jo-Ann Rome ARE YOU LIVING ALONE? If you are living alone and would like a daily telephone call just to have someone check in on you, we provide such a service. Or ... if you know of someone who would benefit from this, please call Judi Quackenbush (986-6805) or Jo-Ann Rome (987-7236). This can be long term (we have 3 people being called everyday) or if you are just returning home from the hospital and would want this service for a short period of time, let us know. We have volunteers standing by ready to help.
JUNE STEWARDSHIP REPORT Summer is a wonderful time of year! It’s a time of relaxation, a time of fun in the sun with your family and friends. Summer can be a time to get away from the cares and stresses of the working world and just plain wind down. Yet, summer is also a time to remember that our Heavenly Father has been so very good to us through His bountiful blessings. Therefore, this brief note is a simple request that while we relax and try to forget about the cares of our busy lives, we should not forget our obligations to continue to consider the talents, precious time and financial treasures that have become a major part of each of our lives. During this wonderful time of the year, please don’t forget that we need to continue to use our numerous blessings to help those around us. Please remember that while you are relaxing, the church’s financial obligations continue. Please don’t forget that the Thrift Shop still needs your help. Please don’t forget to save a little time each week to worship with you parish family members at Christ Church. In reference to our pledged financial commitment, please remember that as we relax during this wonderful time of year, even if we are away, the church’s financial obligations continue. Believe me when I say that it's much easier to keep up with our individual pledges than it is to try and catch up in the fall or early winter. Plus the Vestry will have the funds that are needed to pay the bills that keep coming in even though it's vacation time. Thank you and God bless! Fred Widman - Stewardship Chairman FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE . . . . Pledge income through the month of April was as follows: Pledged income: $61,000.00 Actual income: $56,790.00 Shop Rite / A&P Gift Card sales though April: Dollar amount sold: $41,000.00 Profit to church: $2,050.00 Although pledge payments specifically are down 6.9%, our total "offering income" (including cash in plate and special envelopes) is just 3.8% off budget. Much of the boost from "cash-in-plate," reflects the increase in visitors and relative newcomers to our Sunday services. Clearly we are appealing to those in our community who seek a place to worship. Please remember to welcome the new faces you see each week, and reinforce God's call to make room for everyone! BACCALAUREATE SERVICE The traditional Baccalaureate Service - a special religious service for Warwick Valley High School’s graduating seniors and their families - will be held on Friday, June 27th at 7:00 PM. The service will take place at St. Stephen’s Roman Catholic Church, 75 Sandfordville Road, Warwick, New York. The service is sponsored by The Warwick Valley Ecumenical Council, and local ministers from across religious traditions will help the graduating seniors lead the evening’s worship. Seniors wear their caps and gowns to the event, which will feature performances by the graduates themselves, songs, prayers, and a short homily. This service usually lasts about one hour. No ticket is necessary to attend and the general public is welcome. GRADUATION HONORS Join us for a special coffee hour on Sunday, June 22nd at 10:00 AM. At that time we will honor our Senior High graduates and celebrate all they have accomplished during their four years of high school. SUMMER ADULT ED PROGRAM This summer there will be an adult Christian education program entitled "The Holy Spirit in Our Lives." It will be an informal group, meeting about two times tentatively scheduled for the first two weeks of July. The plan is to meet in between the two summer services. Everyone is encouraged to attend. If anyone is interested you may contact Jeremy Vogt or Father Scott at any time with comments, suggestions, or just your enthusiasm.
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